


Take Me to the Future

by SmugLemon



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe - 1950s, Alternate Universe - Human, F/F, Fluff and Smut, Garnet is shy, I use the term 1950s loosely, Lots of fluff ensues, Past Pearl/Rose Quartz (Steven Universe), Pearl is lonely, Pearlnet
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-04
Updated: 2016-04-04
Packaged: 2018-05-31 04:43:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,467
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6456328
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SmugLemon/pseuds/SmugLemon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Garnet, who works at the local rec center and coaches the youth swim team, meets Steven, an excitable boy with a zest for life. Steven introduces Garnet to his mother, Pearl, and Garnet soon finds she cannot stop thinking about her. Unfortunately, Garnet is not as smooth as Steven believes her to be, and Pearl isn't so sure she's ready for another relationship. Either way, the boy is determined to cheer them both up by doing whatever he can to bring them together.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Take Me to the Future

**Author's Note:**

> This is what I like to call the Mom Jeans AU. It was inspired by Steven's black-and-white sitcom dream from the episode Chille Tid and my own love of the 1940s/50s aesthetic. I hope to get that vibe across here, as well as plenty of Pearlnet feels. You can look forward to lots of fluff (and even a little smut), but I won't spoil anything here. Please enjoy, and let me know what you think!

Although the arrival of spring had brought some warmer days, Steven could still feel a chill in the air. He tugged the zipper of his faded pink sweatshirt up a little higher, until it was almost closed about his chin. He stared up at the grey clouds gathering overhead, a sure sign that he should have heeded Pearl’s warning to take an umbrella with him.

“Steven, I'm so sorry,” Pearl had said just before he'd gone. “Mr. Smiley stopped by and I have to replace his proportioning valve, so I won't get a chance to even check the car until this evening. Will you be fine to walk home?”

“Yeah,” Steven replied honestly. “I'll be fine!” But now he wasn't so sure he'd be able to make it without getting wet all over again. Maybe he should have just stayed in his swimsuit, he thought. Just as he was about to head down to the sidewalk, he felt a hand ruffle his damp hair. He looked up and grinned at Garnet, who returned the smile down at him.

“Good work today, Steven,” she said. It hadn't been a particularly sunny day, but she still wore her favorite pair of sunglasses, and the boy could see himself reflected him them. “You’re gettin’ faster every day.”

“Thanks coach!”

“Is your mum here to pick you up?” Garnet asked, looking for the familiar blue car but not seeing it. The boy shook his head.

“The car’s been making funny sounds, so she doesn't want to drive it until it's fixed. I’m gonna have to walk.”

Garnet glanced upwards as the wind picked up, whipping down the hood that Steven attempted to tug over his cold head. He’d get sick at this rate, going from the pool to the nasty weather.

“Looks like it's going to rain. How about I give you a ride home?”

Steven’s eyes widened excitedly.

“Really?! You mean it?”

“Well...let’s see if I have a helmet your size.”

“I have a pretty big head,” Steven pointed out, his excitement not dulled in the slightest. He sprinted ahead, taking off towards the parking lot where Garnet’s motorcycle sat.

“Have you ever been on a motorcycle before, Steven?” His coach asked, catching up as Steven circled around the bike, inspecting it closely. He shook his head again.

“No, but I know that it's fun.”

Garnet smiled gently and undid the buckles on the side of the bag, flipping it open. From within she produced a small black helmet and put it on Steven’s head. He waited patiently for her to adjust the strap for him and check it was firmly in place.

“Safety’s no joke,” he said.

“That's right,” Garnet agreed. “Looks like you’re good to go.”

“Alright!” Steven cheered, hoisting himself up and onto the back seat of the bike. Once in place, he seemed to pause. Garnet was busy pulling a helmet over her thick mass of curls when he looked up at her again.

“I'm not sure Pearl will like this.”

“Who?” Garnet asked.

“My mom. She gets kind of nervous about...well, about everything.”

“Hm.” Garnet’s lips flattened as she thought. She hadn't considered the motorcycle being a problem. “Well, it's better than you getting caught in the rain, I think.”

“That's true.”

Garnet waited a moment as Steven’s excitement resurged.

“Has a bug ever flown into your mouth while you were driving?”

Garnet chuckled and got onto the bike.

“Nope,” she replied, and she turned the key in the ignition.

Steven held on tight to Garnet. She couldn't see his face as she drove, but she was sure there was a brilliant smile spread across it the entire ride home. He’d given her an address that wasn't far from the local recreational building where Steven had his swim practice every Tuesday and Thursday. He was a great kid. Boisterous and forgetful at times, sure, but always fun  to have around. He’d come into his first class quite shy but had taken to Garnet quickly, and she had to admit the fondness was mutual.

 

She slowed to a halt on Steven’s street, parking by the curb in front of an ordinary but immaculately kept suburban home. The garage door was open, and Garnet recognized the car that usually picked Steven up from practices, but even that appeared to be clean and organized at a glance.

The motorcycle crackled and popped after the key had been removed. Garnet slid off easily.

“Careful of the pipe,” she said, “it's hot.”

Steven jumped off, having already unclicked the buckle of his helmet. He helped Garnet get it back into the bag before he noticed a pair of familiar feet sticking out from under the car.

“Oh!” Steven grabbed Garnet’s hand. “Come on.”

“Is that your dad?” Garnet asked. A pair of beaten up sneakers wasn't much to go by, but she recalled Steven’s father being messy. She’d met Greg before, when he came in to register Steven at the pool. He seemed like an alright guy despite his fashion choices.

“No, that's my mom!”

His mother? Garnet had never met her. She picked him up often but never got out of her car, just honked the horn.

“Pearl!” Steven called. And all of a sudden the sneakers scraped forward against the floor of garage to reveal a pair of impossibly long legs followed by a skinny torso and a soft looking face that seemed to Garnet the furthest thing possible away from Greg. And, no offense to Greg, but that was a wonderful thing in Garnet’s opinion. Even with the visible smudges of grease and across her face and neck, it was clear it was an incredibly beautiful woman servicing the underside of the car.

“Steven!” The woman exclaimed, sitting up once it was safe to do so. She glanced at Garnet a bit uneasily.

“Who’s this?”

Garnet instantly undid her helmet, tugging it off before realizing how flattened her hair must look, already damp from her post-swim shower and now ruined by her helmet. She stowed her sunglasses in the empty helmet politely. She swallowed, trying to remember how to introduce herself. But as was the case whenever she was confronted with an attractive woman, Garnet felt as if cotton balls had been shoved into her mouth.

“This is my swim coach, Garnet!” Steven jumped in, doing the job better than Garnet could have managed.

“Oh. Hello,” Pearl said, picking up a clean rag and dabbing her face with it self-consciously. She seemed a little perplexed as to why Garnet would be there at all, but stood up just the same. “How do you do?”

Garnet’s jaw was locked into place as she tried to look cool despite her inner panic, and Pearl just stared, not having anything to say. Surprise guests weren't common.

“She gave me a ride home,” Steven explained. At this, Pearl seemed to notice the helmet tucked under Garnet’s arm. She leaned to the side to peer around the taller woman and caught sight of what was parked in front of her house.

“On a  _ motorcycle _ ?” Pearl asked. “I didn't give permission for that! Steven, what were you thinking? You could have gotten seriously hurt!”

“But Pearl,” Steven whined. “It’s going to rain, and Garnet was being really nice.”

“It's gonna rain,” Garnet managed to get out. Her voice was calm, but internally she was cursing herself for repeating the obvious. She almost felt herself starting to sweat as Pearl set her gaze on her. She did  _ not _ look happy. Garnet was sure a real verbal lashing was about to be handed to her, but Steven sniffled loudly and Pearl’s entire demeanor changed. She swung her head to look at the boy.

“Oh, Steven. This weather is going to make you sick. Go inside and get warmed up. Dinner should be done soon; it's cooking in the crock-pot by the stove.”

Steven nodded, starting for the side door slowly.

“Thanks for the ride again, Garnet,” he said.

“No problem,” Garnet replied, and gave him a reassuring smile. He smiled too, giving a wave and disappearing behind the door.

Pearl’s gaze flickered briefly up and down Garnet before returning to her face. She wiped her hands on the towel and tucked it into the back pocket of her dungarees.

“I should thank you,” she said. “Normally I would pick him up myself, but, as you can see the car is in no shape to be on the road.” As she gestured to the vehicle beside her, Garnet fought to get some kind of decent sentence into the open.

“We’ve never met,” Garnet pointed out. Alright, it wasn’t the best thing to reply with, but it was something. And Pearl didn’t seem to think it was a strange comment at all as she started idly tidying up her workspace.

“Hm, you’re right. I don’t get out of the car when I pick Steven up. I’m usually in the middle of something-- Being a single parent doesn’t exactly leave a lot of time to start mingling with other moms.”

Garnet’s brow furrowed.

“But I’ve met Steven’s dad.”

“Yes, and he has him most weekends. Not much help otherwise.” Pearl paused and her face flushed. “Oh, no. No, I didn’t mean it like that,” Pearl said, realizing her slip. She looked up at Garnet. “Greg is... nice.”

“I understand,” Garnet replied, holding up a hand. “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize you were separated.”

At this, Pearl actually laughed. Garnet was just puzzled even further.

“Oh, Greg and I? That was never...no. It’s a long story,” she shook her head. “But really, thank you. I’ll try to make sure this doesn’t happen again. I don’t want to inconvenience you.”

“It really wasn’t any trouble. Steven’s an awesome kid. I’m glad he decided to join up.”

Pearl smiled gently.

“I am too. He comes home talking about all the friends he’s made, and up until now I’d assumed ‘Garnet’ was another child on the team with him. He mentions you all the time, believe it or not.”

“I believe it. It’s great to see him really opening up. So, if you ever need me to give him a ride back…”

Pearl’s eyes shifted uneasily to the motorcycle again.

“I do have a car,” Garnet pointed out, and Pearl noticeably relaxed.

“Thank you, that’s very kind of you.” She glanced at the door. “Would you like to stay for dinner?”

“Oh, no thanks,” Garnet said. “I really should get home before it starts raining. Not much fun to ride in the rain,” she explained, jerking her head in the direction of her bike.

“Ah, of course,” Pearl replied. “Well, another time. It’s the least I can do.”

“I’d like that.”

A short silence fell between the two of them, and Garnet backed away a bit, fumbling with her helmet and the sunglasses still inside.

“Uh. Goodnight, Pearl. It was nice finally gettin’ to meet you.”

“Likewise. Goodnight, Garnet.”

Garnet walked quickly back to her bike, glancing over her shoulder to see Pearl following Steven’s footsteps and walking into the house. She let out a breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding. That could have gone worse, she supposed, and smiled to herself as she climbed back onto her bike. Maybe she’d actually take Pearl up on the meal, if it was ever offered to her again. Feeling a drop of rain hit her hand, Garnet sped away.

 

. . .

 

By Thursday afternoon, Garnet was still thinking about Pearl. Their brief conversation had left her so perplexed. And more so, Garnet found Pearl’s image invaded her thoughts frequently. When she’d get the chance to see her again, she had no idea. But she hoped to at least get some answers from Steven. She spotted him alone at the shallow end, holding onto the concrete lip of the pool and kicking his feet while the other kids had already gone to change and meet their parents. Garnet took the opportunity to sit down and stick her feet into the water just beside him.

“Hi coach,” he greeted cheerily, and Garnet expected nothing less from him. “Just working out the old leg muscles.”   
Garnet smiled, giving him a nod of approval. She looked down at her own feet and kicked them a little too.

“Pearl’s going to be a little late picking me up today,” the boy explained. “She’s got the car fixed, but she had an errand to run or something.” Steven’s brow furrowed as if trying to recall the exact words Pearl had used to no avail. Now was her chance.

“Hey Steven,” Garnet said coolly. “Why do you call your mum ‘Pearl’?”

The boy looked up at her, his kicking slowing down just a little.

“Because that's her name.”

Garnet should have seen that answer coming, she supposed. She tried again.

“I know that. But usually kids don't call their mum’s by their first names.”

“Oh. Well, she's not really my  _ mom _ mom. My first mom passed away when I was a baby. But Pearl is like my  _ other _ mom.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.”

“It’s okay,” Steven said quickly, picking up his speed again. “You didn’t know. Anyway, Pearl is the only mom I’ve ever known. Besides Amethyst, I guess. She’s my babysitter. And she’s kind of like a really fun mom who lets me stay up late and eat ice cream for dinner.”

Garnet gave a low hum in response. So Pearl wasn’t Steven’s biological mother, but she was raising him just the same. And she didn’t like Greg, which meant... _ something _ . Exactly what was still left to question. A woman raising another woman’s son…

No, it couldn’t be true. Garnet could not be suddenly and hopelessly attracted to a woman like Pearl and come to find out Pearl was as interested in women as she was. And single. And gorgeous. Garnet could feel her heartbeat quickening. She tried to find a way to word her next question delicately. ‘Is your mother gay?’ didn’t feel appropriate at all, no matter what the context. She adjusted the strap of her one-piece swimsuit, mulling over her options.

“Was your mum Pearl’s sister?” she tried casually.

“No,” Steven answered easily, giggling some. He flipped over in the water, changing his grip on the edge as he kicked away, delighting in each splash his feet made. “That would be weird.”

“Why would it be weird?” Garnet pressed.

“Because they were in love,” he responded. And he said it as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. “Pearl and my mom used to live together and go on vacations all the time before I was born. Pearl doesn’t talk about it a lot, but I’ve seen some old pictures, and they always look happy.”

Garnet couldn't help but smile slightly. She realized that this might be a terrible time to smile, with Steven talking about his parted mother and the fact that Pearl had lost her. She was spared any more thought on the matter though, because the door to the room swung open then and in walked none other than Pearl, pausing in the entrance and looking around before spotting the pair of them.

“Hi Pearl!” Steven shouted, lifting a foot in the air and waving it as if it were a hand. Garnet got to her feet with a lightning quickness and fluffed her thankfully dry and not swim-capped hair, determined now to make a good impression. Her confidence started to dissolve as Pearl’s heels clicked across the floor, and Garnet thought for a moment that she was watching a movie star walking straight off the set of some Hollywood flick. Whereas the other day Pearl could have passed for a real-life Rosie the Riveter, she was now the very image of modern sophistication, gloved hands clutching an expensive-looking purse and dress perfectly pressed. Garnet couldn’t decide which look she found more alluring. Either way, she was entranced as Pearl seemed to move in slow motion towards her.

In reality, Pearl  _ was _ moving a little slower than usual. She had been prepared to see Garnet again, or rather, had spent time preparing to see her once more. She’d been thinking about the woman in their day and half apart, despite knowing it was silly to do so. Still, she owed Garnet a dinner and wouldn’t feel right until she’d made up for the trouble she’d caused her. Nothing had prepared her for the sight she was greeted with, however. Before her stood at least six feet of a woman who could make Pearl’s pulse quicken with just a glance. On top of that, her swimsuit was leaving practically nothing to the imagination. Pearl was tempted to turn right around because there was nothing that would hide the bright blush rising to her pale cheeks. Maybe Steven would mercifully pull her into the water; at least that would cool her down. Goodness, what temperature did they keep the room at? She forced her eyes to stay up, determined to look at Garnet’s face and not at her… Pearl switched tactics and looked to Steven, flustered beyond all control.

“Steven, you’re still in the water,” she said.

“I didn’t think you’d be here so soon,” he replied, climbing out and dripping. Garnet turned to fetch him a towel off the bench nearby and Pearl nearly had a heart attack as her eyes wandered low again, watching Garnet walk. She felt an urge to bolt from the building, but simply lifted her gaze to the ceiling and took in a deep breath. Steven mistook the look. He thought she was giving him one of her exasperated roll-of-the-eyes-- the kind she gave when she was upset with him but didn’t want to say it. He frowned guiltily and quickly took off towards the locker room, grabbing the towel right out of Garnet’s hands.

“I’ll be right back, Pearl! I promise I’ll be fast.”

“Steven, don’t run!” She called after him, but it didn’t slow him down much. Garnet turned back towards her and smiled. She’d taken the few seconds to practice what she was going to say in her head.

“It’s good to see you again, Pearl.”

Pearl returned the smile, fixing her hair into place nervously. Garnet found it endearing.

“Good afternoon, Garnet,” she answered. “I’m glad I ran into you.”

“I can usually be found here,” she joked, crossing her arms comfortably. Pearl tightened her grip on her purse, determined to keep her eyes above Garnet’s neck at all times and not concern herself with whatever her arms were doing or not doing.

“Well, while I’m here, I’d really like to remind you that you’re welcome to join Steven and I for dinner. I made the mistake of letting it slip that I’d invited you the other night, and I’m afraid he won’t stop mentioning it until you agree,” Pearl said, a small smile on her face. “Of course, I would be delighted to have you as well.”

Garnet returned her smile.

“In that case, I have to accept.”

Pearl’s smiled widened.

“Then can I expect you tomorrow night at six o’clock?”

Garnet nodded.

“I’ll be there.”

Pearl fiddled with the clasp of her purse some. Now with that out of the way, she really wasn’t sure what to talk about. And it dawned on her then that she would have to last an entire meal and possibly dessert with the same woman. At least then she would be fully clothed. Her current outfit was much too distracting. And Steven would be there too to fill in the gaps. Speaking of Steven, he was rushing out of the locker room, swim trunks now in hand and sneakers sloppily tied. He took Pearl’s hand once he was at her side.

“Ready to go!” He announced.

“Very good, Steven,” Pearl said, squeezing his hand gently. “We’ll be seeing you tomorrow then, Garnet.”

“Tomorrow?” The boy questioned, glancing between the two of them.

“I’m comin’ over for dinner,” Garnet explained. Never had she seen the boys eyes light up so brightly.

“This is the best day ever.”

“Tomorrow, Steven,” Pearl clarified.

“Tomorrow is the best day ever,” he said, grin stretched all the way across his face.

Garnet chuckled.

“Goodbye, Steven. Pearl.” She gave an awkward nod and stayed in place as the pair of them turned to start for the exit.

“Bye coach!” Steven said. “See you soon!”

“Yes, goodbye, Garnet,” Pearl was sure to add, walking through the door as Steven held it open for her. It took a long moment for everything to sink in, leaving Garnet to stand there grinning like a fool. If she could find it in herself to remember how to speak, then she might actually agree. Tomorrow was looking like a pretty great day already.


End file.
